English Language

Direct and Indirect Speech

290 Questions
All Interrogative Sentences 64 Imperative Sentences 63 Tense Sequence Shift 30 Assertive Sentences 23 Exclamatory Sentences 23 Universal Truths and Habits 22 Modal Auxiliary Shift 19 Time and Place Expressions 19 Pronoun Shifts 18 Mixed Sentence Types 5 Question Tags 1

Direct and Indirect Speech Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

Bill said, ''God helps those who help themselves.''

  1. Bill said that God helps those who help themselves.

  2. Bill said that God helped those whose help themselves.

  3. Bill said the God helps those who helped themselves.

  4. Bill said that God helped those who help themselves.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In reported speech, universally accepted facts or sayings stay the same. In assertive sentences such as this, 'said' remains unchanged, followed by 'that'. Hence, (1).

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

I said to him, ''Goodbye. May you succeed!''

  1. I bade him goodbye and he might succeed.

  2. I bade him goodbye and prayed that he might succeed.

  3. I bade him goodbye and prayed that he may succeed.

  4. I bade him goodbye and prayed that he will succeed.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

When changing optative sentences (expressing wishes/prayers using may) from direct to indirect speech, the reporting verb changes to prayed or wished, and may changes to might. Option B correctly uses both: bade him goodbye (formal farewell) and prayed that he might succeed. Option C incorrectly keeps may instead of might.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

He said, “I must go next week.”

  1. He said that he must go next week.

  2. He said that he must go the following week.

  3. He said that he would have to go the following week.

  4. He said that he was to go the following week.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In assertive snetence like this, 'said' remains unchanged and is followed by 'that'. 'Next week' becomes 'the following week' in reported speech. Hence, (2). 

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

I said to my servant, “Bring me a cup of tea.”

  1. I ordered my servant to bring me a cup of tea.

  2. I told by servant to bring me a cup of tea.

  3. I ordered my servant bring me a cup of tea.

  4. I ordered to my servant to bring me a cup of tea.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

When changing imperative sentences (commands/requests) from direct to indirect speech, the reporting verb changes to ordered/requested/asked and the verb becomes infinitive (to + base form). Option A correctly uses ordered with infinitive to bring. Option B is grammatically incorrect (told by should be told to). Option C is missing the required to before bring. Option D incorrectly uses ordered to my servant instead of ordered my servant.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

The girl is saying, ''Fire! Fire! Save me.''

  1. The girl is saying that there is a fire and we should save her.

  2. The girl is crying out that there is a fire and save her.

  3. The girl is saying that we should save her from the fire.

  4. The girl is crying out that there is a fire and that we should save her.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The girl is crying out to say that there is a fire. Option (4) conveys this sense best.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

''What losses'', cried he, ''have I suffered!''

  1. He cried that I have suffered much losses.

  2. He cried that I have suffered heavy losses.

  3. He exclaimed with sorrow that he had suffered heavy losses.

  4. He exclaimed sorrowfully that I have suffered heavy losses.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The statement implies that the speaker is expressing grief or sorrow over heavy losses. Option (3) conveys the sense best.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

He said to her, “May you succeed!”

  1. He told her that she might succeed.

  2. He prayed to God that she may succeed.

  3. He wished her success.

  4. He said to her that she might succeed.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

When changing optative sentences from direct to indirect speech, options include using wished/prayed. Option C (He wished her success) is the most natural and concise transformation of May you succeed. Option A incorrectly uses told instead of wished/prayed. Option D incorrectly uses said to her instead of an appropriate verb for a wish. Option B adds to God unnecessarily and incorrectly uses may instead of might.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

He said to her, “Where do you live?”

  1. He asked her where she lived.

  2. He asked her where did she live.

  3. He asked her where does she live.

  4. He asked her where had she lived.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

When changing interrogative sentences from direct to indirect speech, the question word (where) remains, but the subject and verb positions change from interrogative to declarative order. The tense also backshifts from present (do you live) to past (she lived). Option A correctly changes Where do you live to where she lived with proper word order and tense backshift. Options B and C incorrectly retain the interrogative word order (did she live, does she live). Option D incorrectly uses past perfect (had she lived) where simple past is required.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

My friend said, “Alas! my cousin has lost his mother.”

  1. My friend told with sorrow that my cousin has lost his mother.

  2. My friend exclaimed with sorrow that my cousin has lost his mother.

  3. My friend exclaimed with sorrow that his cousin had lost his mother.

  4. My friend exclaimed with sorrow that his cousin had been lost his mother.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'Alas' is used to express grief or sorrow. 'has lost' changes to 'had lost'. Hence, (3).